Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Red Pen has been whetted...for now

I suffer from a condition called perfectionism. You may have heard of it, particularly if you are one of my kindred souls who cringe when you come across a typo while reading. It's even more infuriating if that error could've been easily addressed by someone merely reading the material before it's published, vs. scanning for errors -- or worse, relying on certain word processing software to find spelling errors when it's a case of to/too/two or the like.

I also suffer from pride...that is, as a member of this fine gaming community, I am inherently proud of every DCC RPG-related product that hits the shelf. This makes the first condition all the more pronounced. {Caveat: This is just the way my brain is wired.} When asked, I am more than happy to give something a once-over before it hits the printer. In these cases, the Red Pen of Doom is being used for good instead of evil! And, hey, what better time to jump into some proofreading/editing, than when my game is on hiatus?

The first project I was honored to be a part of in this "official" capacity was "Prayers of the Forgotten," the second release from Stormlord Publishing (Carl Bussler, helmsman). Many of you will recognize Mr. Bussler as the one who recently put out the zine/digest-sized funnel, "Well of Souls".

This puppy is available in digest-size print and PDF. No fancy edges on this one, but don't mistake the lack of frill for a lack of content. You'll find everything you need for creating Boons and Relics, as well as three ready-to-play encounters. I must say, the timing on this one could not have been more perfect. I'd been dreading fleshing out the aftermath of my players released the Carnifex and returning her to power, and this little sourcebook was exactly what my Muse needed to take off.

Just a week later, I took up the next project: "Stronghold of the Wood Giant Shaman," the third DCC RPG-compatible publication from Thick Skull Adventures (spearheaded by Stephen Newton). If you're expecting a follow-up to "Attack of the Frawgs!" or "The Haunting of Larvik Island," you have to sit tight: This ain't it. But it is a fantastic homage to a particular module of yore. It is obvious that a lot of thought and effort went into composing it in a manner that is both respectful to the original source of inspriration and evocative of the flavor that makes DCC so special. It clocks in at nearly 30 pages, and the maps were done by my podcast brother, +Jeffrey Tadlock. With all this in addition to appendices detailing new magic, new monsters, and even an entirely new Crit Table, what's not to like? I can't wait to run this...without warning, of course.

Side note: I think we should all bug Stephen to get more of these cool shirts made! I could probably get away with this logo 7 days a week. =)

I totally blame +Dak Ultimak for giving me the editing bug. I'm loving it. Can't wait to tackle the next projects from both of these fine gentlemen!